New police station for Vaini [1]
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 22:15. Updated on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 18:35.
A new modern Vaini Community Police Station constructed at a cost of $980,000 pa'anga was opened on September 8, the first to be built under a Tonga Police Redevelopment Program.
The five-year tripartite program was signed in 2008 with the New Zealand Government committing up to $7.5 million dollars over four years for the program, and Australia making available up to AUD$2.6 million dollars per year for 21 programs in the redevelopment of the Tonga police.
Tonga's Police Commander Chris Kelley said it was a historical event for the Tonga Police and the new station was evidence of the program's vision for safer communities because the new community police station would engage with not only the people of Vaini but with surrounding villages in the Eastern district.
He said it was important for the police to engage with the community.
"The police are committed to the community, without the community we are nothing, with you we are everything," he said.
The new station will be open 24 hours daily would be manned by 10 police officers, an increase from seven at the old station.
The single storey white cement station building on Taufa'ahau Road has an open office space with a lobby, two interview rooms, two offices, a holding room and an exhibit room.
Joint assistance
The Australian High Commissioner in Tonga HE Dr Bruce Hunt said the building represented a significant milestone in the work of the Tonga-Australia-New Zealand joint Police Assistance Program.
He said the newly built police station was the first time the joint assistance program had moved out of Nuku'alofa town and into the villages and communities of Tongatapu, a significant development in bringing the police to the community and bringing the community closer to the police.
He also said this station reflected the aim of the Police Assistance Project to build a professional, effective and well-trained police force able to respond quickly to the needs of the general community.
"It also reflects another goal of the program, to restore public confidence in the Police Force. A community which sees the police force out and about and on the job has, I suspect, a greater confidence in the Force."
Law and order
The New Zealand High Commissioner, HE Dr Jonathan Austin said it was fitting that his first speech in Tonga was on the Tonga Police, since law and order is the first thing that every country needs.
He said New Zealand had committed $7.5 million over four years for the program and that they were pleased to work with Australia in the joint program, that also saw officers of the three countries work together.
He said there had been excellent progress in the two years visible in improvements of vehicles, uniforms, and equipments.
He commended the community policing approach that the Tonga Police had undertaken hence highlighted that community policing was at the heart of the New Zealand Police's approach to policing.
The Prime Minister Hon Dr Feleti Sevele in his address said the government was happy that the new station had achieved the aim of the joint program and highlighted the importance of restoring public confidence in police.
He also stressed the importance of the community and the police to work and support each other.
The new station was opened by Hon Tevita 'Unga.